Operating in a virtual environment utilizing a computer is a past-time that is gaining popularity with many. A virtual environment is an interactive simulated environment that can be accessed by multiple users, where users can interact through an “online” interface via a communications network. A virtual environment can provide interactivity as there is two way communication between a user on a client application and a server that is providing changes to the virtual environment based on the user input. Thus, there can be a reciprocal information exchange where a participant can make choices within a virtual environment and the virtual environment can change content based on the participant choices. Users can inhabit and interact in the virtual environment via avatars, which can be two or three-dimensional graphical representations of human type icons often referred to as “humanoids.” Alternately described, an avatar can be a graphical representation that a user can select to represent himself/herself that others can see, in the virtual world. An avatar can take the form of a cartoon-like human.
Virtual environments have many different names. For example, a virtual environment can be referred to as a “metaverse,” a “3D Internet” a “virtual world,” and so on. As utilized herein, a virtual universe (VU) is intended to encompass all of these environments. Although there are many different types of VUs, there are several features many VUs have in common. For example, many VUs have shared space which is a “universe” that allows many users to concurrently participate in an activity. The VU residents or avatars can traverse, inhabit, and interact with other avatars via 3-D graphics and landscapes. Thus, a VU can be populated by many thousands of residents or avatars. Often, the VU resembles the real world in terms of physics or physical laws, houses, landscapes, etc.
Many virtual environments also have a graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI can depict the environment or some form of “space” visually, ranging in style from 2D “cartoon” imagery to a more immersive 3D environment. The GUI can accept user input. In addition, many virtual environments can provide immediacy, interactivity, and persistence Immediacy allows interactions between a user's avatar and the environment to take place in real time. Interactivity with the environment allows users to alter, develop, build, or submit customized content. Persistence provides a continuous environment regardless of whether individual users are logged in. Some virtual environments also have agent's regions assets, textures, effects and socialization or a community.